Equity and Transformation (EAT) is a non-profit, community-led organization founded by and for post-incarcerated people. EAT was established in 2018 with the mission to uplift the voices and power of Black Chicagoans engaged in the informal economy: the diversified set of economic activities, enterprises, jobs, and workers that are not regulated or protected by the state.
EAT is committed to building social and economic equity for informal workers and dismantling anti-Black racism. The organization strives to uplift the faces, voices, and power of individuals that operate within the informal economy: the bucket boys who we pass on the way to the train every day, the DVD bootlegger at your local barber shop, the person selling loose cigarettes at two for a dollar in front of the local liquor store, and the trans and cisgender commercial sex workers in our communities. Their strategy focuses on research, media-based organizing, community organizing, advocacy, and policy development to mobilize Chicago’s informal workforce.
EAT's current campaigns include its second guaranteed income program for formerly incarcerated people, The Chicago Future Fund. In 2021, EAT launched the first Chicago Future Fund, giving $500/month to 30 system-impacted individuals in West Garfield Park. Now, in partnership with FTX Foundation, they're expanding the Chicago Future Fund.
With the second Chicago Future Fund, EAT will give $500/month, no-fee bank services, and a Visa debit card with financial education to 100 formerly incarcerated residents of West Garfield Park, Englewood, and Austin.
Unconditional cash meets people’s most urgent needs, which aren’t always limited to food, housing, and health security. Removing all restrictions mitigates unprecedented costs and provides a safety net amid life’s chaotic events. EAT wants to ensure that our recipients can use the money whenever and however they need it.
A guaranteed income of $500/month isn’t going to make anyone rich, but it will provide a lifeline to someone on the verge of drowning. $500/month allows folks to focus on their families, careers, and well-being without having to worry about unexpected expenses.
Source: EAT